The Truth of It
by usakiwigirl
Summary: A recurring story of Jack's is seen through the team dynamic, and how it impacts Ianto.


AN: Written for Challenge 6 of jack_ianto_las. I received one positive vote and two negative votes. This prompt was "And then suddenly I'm naked again!".

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><p>Ianto moved about the conference room, setting out coffees and pastries, invisible as always, while Suzie, Jack, Tosh and Owen laughed and joked with abandon. It didn't surprise him that he wasn't noticed - they never saw him. Well, except Jack. He hardly ever stopped looking. Even now, Ianto could feel his eyes on him, as he gathered the empty cups on a tray and prepared to leave.<p>

"And then suddenly I'm naked again!" Jack finished his story with his most outrageous statement yet, throwing his arms out in emphasis and 'accidentally' catching Ianto across the behind. "Oops, sorry, Ianto!"

"That's alright, Sir. I'll fill in the harassment form and leave it on your desk for you to sign later.

Owen sprayed crumbs across the table as he barked out a sudden burst of laughter. "Fuck, Harkness, you're so full of shit!"

Ianto made his way out of the room, still ignored, still invisible. Only Jack watched him leave.

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><p>"So then he ended his story with 'And then suddenly I'm naked again.' How was I supposed to believe anything he told me?" Gwen's eyes were huge, as she looked around the table at Tosh and Owen. Not long in charge of the team, she was looking at them both to see if they could shed some light on Jack and his stories. Ianto sat in the corner and listened quietly.<p>

Tosh nodded, a small smile on her face, while Owen scowled and snorted.

"Look, Cooper, you couldn't take half of what that man said seriously."

"That's hardly fair, Owen. Jack knows so much more than we do." Tosh stood up for their errant leader, still hopeful of his return.

"I wasn't trying to be fair, Tosh. Jack might have known a lot, but you still couldn't take him seriously. He was always spouting shit. I don't think any of us were supposed to take him seriously." It was obvious from his tone of voice, his use of past tense, that Owen didn't share her belief in the possibility of Jack ever coming back.

Ianto stayed quiet. His opinion wasn't asked for, nor would he volunteer one. It hurt to think of Jack, his jokes and his stories. Most of all, it hurt to think that he might not ever see him again.

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><p>After Jack's return, after Tommy Brockless, after Owen's deathnot-death, Ianto could see that Jack was a different man. He still joked with the team, but he no longer sat around the table and told the outrageous stories that made them all laugh before his sudden flight. Only Ianto was privy to his tales, and even then, they were few and far between. Ianto knew not to push for more, that Jack was not comfortable spilling his secrets. He knew the signs - when Jack wanted silence, or sex, or just comfort. He knew too, those few times when Jack did want to talk.

"The Doctor and Rose, I didn't know where they were. We were all separated. These robots - one was Trine-E and the other was Zu-Zana and yeah, they sounded just like Trinny and Susannah. A homicidal What Not To Wear. I found myself standing in front of them and then suddenly I'm naked again. I pull out a gun and blow their heads off. That was before the Daleks." Jack's voice was pained as he finished speaking.

"Wait a minute - you were naked, yeah? I'm going to regret asking, but where were you hiding a gun?"

"You're a smart man, Ianto - think about it."

Ianto shuddered. He knew it had been a mistake to ask. Sometimes, it was better not to know.

"So those stories you told the others, they're all true, then?"

"Of course. I don't lie - I might hide the truth, or evade the question, but I don't lie."

"So - nakedness in public isn't always your idea."

Jack chuckled. "No. Despite what you all think of me, I'm not that much of an exhibitionist. Well, not all the time, anyway. Depends on the circumstances, I suppose. There was that one time during Time Agency training, and then that other time when-"

"Jack! I get it. 'And then suddenly I'm naked again' is just part of who you are. As long as it isn't contagious." Ianto leaned in and gave Jack a firm kiss, lingering for just a moment before pulling back and sitting in his chair.

"Well, you did go undercover yourself not too long ago while invisible and naked. Does that count?"

Ianto shook his head. Bloody Torchwood. Or should that be bloody Jack Harkness?


End file.
